TY - JOUR A1 - Aleksic, J. A1 - Ansoldi, S. A1 - Antonelli, L. A. A1 - Antoranz, P. A1 - Babic, A. A1 - Bangale, P. A1 - de Almeida, U. Barres A1 - Barrio, J. A. A1 - Gonzalez, J. Becerra A1 - Bednarek, W. A1 - Berger, K. A1 - Bernardini, E. A1 - Bilandli, A. A1 - Bianch, O. A1 - Bock, R. K. A1 - Bonnefoy, S. A1 - Bonnoli, G. A1 - Borracci, F. A1 - Bretz, T. A1 - Carmona, E. A1 - Carosi, A. A1 - Fidalgo, D. Carreto A1 - Colin, P. A1 - Colombo, E. A1 - Contreras, J. L. A1 - Cortina, J. A1 - Covino, S. A1 - Da Vela, P. A1 - Dazzi, F. A1 - De Angelis, A. A1 - De Caneva, G. A1 - De Lotto, B. A1 - Delgado Mendez, C. A1 - Doert, M. A1 - Dominguez, A. A1 - Prester, Dijana Dominis A1 - Dorner, D. A1 - Doro, M. A1 - Einecke, S. A1 - Eisenacher, D. A1 - Elsaesser, D. A1 - Farina, E. A1 - Ferenc, D. A1 - Fonseca, M. V. A1 - Font, L. A1 - Frantzen, K. A1 - Fruck, C. A1 - Garcia Lopez, R. J. A1 - Garczarczyki, M. A1 - Garrido Terrats, D. A1 - Gaug, M. A1 - Giavitto, G. A1 - Godinovic, N. A1 - Gonzalez Munoz, A. A1 - Gozzini, S. R. A1 - Hadamek, A. A1 - Hadasch, D. A1 - Herrero, A. A1 - Hildebrand, D. A1 - Hose, J. A1 - Hrupec, D. A1 - Idec, W. A1 - Kadenius, V. A1 - Kellermann, H. A1 - Knoetig, M. L. A1 - Krause, J. A1 - Kushida, J. A1 - La Barbera, A. A1 - Lelas, D. A1 - Lewandowska, N. A1 - Lindfors, E. A1 - Longo, F. A1 - Lombardi, S. A1 - Lopez, M. A1 - Lopez-Coto, R. A1 - Lopez-Oramas, A. A1 - Lorenz, E. A1 - Lozano, I. A1 - Makariev, M. A1 - Mallot, K. A1 - Maneva, G. A1 - Mankuzhiyil, N. A1 - Mannheim, K. A1 - Maraschi, L. A1 - Marcote, B. A1 - Mariotti, M. A1 - Martinez, M. A1 - Mazin, D. A1 - Menzel, U. A1 - Meucci, M. A1 - Miranda, J. M. A1 - Mirzoyan, R. A1 - Moralejo, A. A1 - Munar-Adrover, P. A1 - Nakajima, D. A1 - Niedzwiecki, A. A1 - Nilsson, K. A1 - Nowak, N. A1 - Orito, R. A1 - Overkemping, A. A1 - Paiano, S. A1 - Palatiello, M. A1 - Paneque, D. A1 - Paoletti, R. A1 - Paredes, J. M. A1 - Paredes-Fortuny, X. A1 - Partini, S. A1 - Persic, M. A1 - Prada, F. A1 - Moroni, P. G. Prada A1 - Prandini, E. A1 - Preziuso, S. A1 - Puljak, I. A1 - Reinthal, R. A1 - Rhode, W. A1 - Ribo, M. A1 - Rico, J. A1 - Garcia, J. Rodriguez A1 - Ruegamer, S. A1 - Saggion, A. A1 - Saito, K. A1 - Salvati, M. A1 - Satalecka, K. A1 - Scalzotto, V. A1 - Scapin, V. A1 - Schuliz, C. A1 - Schweizer, T. A1 - Shore, S. N. A1 - Sillanpaa, A. A1 - Sitarek, J. A1 - Snidaric, I. A1 - Sobczynska, D. A1 - Spanier, F. A1 - Stamatescu, V. A1 - Stamerra, A. A1 - Steinbring, T. A1 - Storz, J. A1 - Sun, S. A1 - Suric, T. A1 - Takalo, L. A1 - Tavecchio, F. A1 - Temnikov, P. A1 - Terzic, T. A1 - Tescaro, D. A1 - Teshima, M. A1 - Thaele, J. A1 - Tibolla, O. A1 - Torres, D. F. A1 - Toyama, T. A1 - Treves, A. A1 - Uellenbeck, M. A1 - Vogler, P. A1 - Wagner, R. M. A1 - Zandanel, F. A1 - Zanin, R. A1 - Archambault, S. A1 - Behera, B. A1 - Beilicke, M. A1 - Benbow, W. A1 - Bird, R. A1 - Buckley, J. H. A1 - Bugaev, V. A1 - Cerruti, M. A1 - Chen, X. A1 - Ciupik, L. A1 - Collins-Hughes, E. A1 - Cui, W. A1 - Dumm, J. A1 - Eisch, J. D. A1 - Falcone, A. A1 - Federici, S. A1 - Feng, Q. A1 - Finley, J. P. A1 - Fleischhack, H. A1 - Fortin, P. A1 - Fortson, L. A1 - Furniss, A. A1 - Griffin, S. A1 - Griffiths, S. T. A1 - Grube, J. A1 - Gyuk, G. A1 - Hanna, D. A1 - Holder, J. A1 - Hughes, G. A1 - Humensky, T. B. A1 - Johnson, C. A. A1 - Kaaret, P. A1 - Kertzman, M. A1 - Khassen, Y. A1 - Kieda, D. A1 - Krawczynski, H. A1 - Krennrich, F. A1 - Kumar, S. A1 - Lang, M. J. A1 - Maier, G. A1 - McArthur, S. A1 - Meagher, K. A1 - Moriarty, P. A1 - Mukherjee, R. A1 - Ong, R. A. A1 - Otte, A. N. A1 - Park, N. A1 - Pichel, A. A1 - Pohl, M. A1 - Popkow, A. A1 - Prokoph, H. A1 - Quinn, M. J. A1 - Ragan, K. A1 - Rajotte, J. A1 - Reynolds, P. T. A1 - Richards, G. T. A1 - Roache, E. A1 - Rovero, A. C. A1 - Sembroski, G. H. A1 - Shahinyan, K. A1 - Staszak, D. A1 - Telezhinsky, Igor O. A1 - Theiling, M. A1 - Tucci, J. V. A1 - Tyler, J. A1 - Varlotta, A. A1 - Wakely, S. P. A1 - Weekes, T. C. A1 - Weinstein, A. A1 - Welsing, R. A1 - Wilhelm, Alina A1 - Williams, D. A. A1 - Zitzer, B. A1 - Villata, M. A1 - Raiteri, C. A1 - Aller, H. D. A1 - Aller, M. F. A1 - Chen, W. P. A1 - Jordan, B. A1 - Koptelova, E. A1 - Kurtanidze, O. M. A1 - Lahteenmaki, A. A1 - McBreen, B. A1 - Larionov, V. M. A1 - Lin, C. S. A1 - Nikolashvili, M. G. A1 - Angelakis, E. A1 - Capalbi, M. A1 - Carraminana, A. A1 - Carrasco, L. A1 - Cassaro, P. A1 - Cesarini, A. A1 - Fuhrmann, L. A1 - Giroletti, M. A1 - Hovatta, T. A1 - Krichbaum, T. P. A1 - Krimm, H. A. A1 - Max-Moerbeck, W. A1 - Moody, J. W. A1 - Maccaferri, G. A1 - Mori, Y. A1 - Nestoras, I. A1 - Orlati, A. A1 - Pace, C. A1 - Pearson, R. A1 - Perri, M. A1 - Readhead, A. C. S. A1 - Richards, J. L. A1 - Sadun, A. C. A1 - Sakamoto, T. A1 - Tammi, J. A1 - Tornikoski, M. A1 - Yatsu, Y. A1 - Zook, A. T1 - The 2009 multiwavelength campaign on Mrk 421: Variability and correlation studies JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Aims. We perform an extensive characterization of the broadband emission of Mrk 421, as well as its temporal evolution, during the non-flaring (low) state. The high brightness and nearby location (z = 0.031) of Mrk 421 make it an excellent laboratory to study blazar emission. The goal is to learn about the physical processes responsible for the typical emission of Mrk 421, which might also be extended to other blazars that are located farther away and hence are more difficult to study. Methods. We performed a 4.5-month multi-instrument campaign on Mrk 421 between January 2009 and June 2009, which included VLBA, F-GAMMA, GASP-WEBT, Swift, RXTE, Fermi-LAT, MAGIC, and Whipple, among other instruments and collaborations. This extensive radio to very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray dataset provides excellent temporal and energy coverage, which allows detailed studies of the evolution of the broadband spectral energy distribution. Results. Mrk421 was found in its typical (non-flaring) activity state, with a VHE flux of about half that of the Crab Nebula, yet the light curves show significant variability at all wavelengths, the highest variability being in the X-rays. We determined the power spectral densities (PSD) at most wavelengths and found that all PSDs can be described by power-laws without a break, and with indices consistent with pink/red-noise behavior. We observed a harder-when-brighter behavior in the X-ray spectra and measured a positive correlation between VHE and X-ray fluxes with zero time lag. Such characteristics have been reported many times during flaring activity, but here they are reported for the first time in the non-flaring state. We also observed an overall anti-correlation between optical /UV and X-rays extending over the duration of the campaign. Conclusions. The harder-when-brighter behavior in the X-ray spectra and the measured positive X-ray/VHE correlation during the 2009 multiwavelength campaign suggests that the physical processes dominating the emission during non-flaring states have similarities with those occurring during flaring activity. In particular, this observation supports leptonic scenarios as being responsible for the emission of Mrk 421 during non-flaring activity. Such a temporally extended X-ray /VHE correlation is not driven by any single flaring event, and hence is difficult to explain within the standard hadronic scenarios. The highest variability is observed in the X-ray band, which, within the one-zone synchrotron self-Compton scenario, indicates that the electron energy distribution is most variable at the highest energies. KW - BL Lacertae objects: individual: Mrk 421 Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201424216 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 576 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aleksic, J. A1 - Ansoldi, S. A1 - Antonelli, L. A. A1 - Antoranz, P. A1 - Babic, A. A1 - Bangale, P. A1 - de Almeida, U. Barres A1 - Barrio, J. A. A1 - Becerra Gonzalez, J. A1 - Bednarek, W. A1 - Berger, K. A1 - Bernardini, E. A1 - Biland, A. A1 - Blanch Bigas, O. A1 - Bock, R. K. A1 - Bonnefoy, S. A1 - Bonnoli, G. A1 - Borracci, F. A1 - Bretz, T. A1 - Carmona, E. A1 - Carosi, A. A1 - Fidalgo, D. Carreto A1 - Colin, P. A1 - Colombo, E. A1 - Contreras, J. L. A1 - Cortina, J. A1 - Covino, S. A1 - Da Vela, P. A1 - Dazzi, F. A1 - De Angelis, A. A1 - De Caneva, G. A1 - De Lotto, B. A1 - Delgado Mendez, C. A1 - Doert, M. A1 - Dominguez, A. A1 - Prester, Dijana Dominis A1 - Dorner, D. A1 - Doro, M. A1 - Einecke, S. A1 - Eisenacher, D. A1 - Elsaesser, D. A1 - Farina, E. A1 - Ferenc, D. A1 - Fonseca, M. V. A1 - Font, L. A1 - Frantzen, K. A1 - Fruck, C. A1 - Garcia Lopez, R. J. A1 - Garczarczyk, M. A1 - Garrido Terrats, D. A1 - Gaug, M. A1 - Giavitto, G. A1 - Godinovic, N. A1 - Gonzalez Munoz, A. A1 - Gozzini, S. R. A1 - Hadamek, A. A1 - Hadasch, D. A1 - Herrero, A. A1 - Hildebrand, D. A1 - Hose, J. A1 - Hrupec, D. A1 - Idec, W. A1 - Kadenius, V. A1 - Kellermann, H. A1 - Knoetig, M. L. A1 - Krause, J. A1 - Kushida, J. A1 - La Barbera, A. A1 - Lelas, D. A1 - Lewandowska, N. A1 - Lindfors, E. A1 - Lombardi, S. A1 - Lopez, M. A1 - Lopez-Coto, R. A1 - Lopez-Oramas, A. A1 - Lorenz, E. A1 - Lozano, I. A1 - Makariev, M. A1 - Mallot, K. A1 - Maneva, G. A1 - Mankuzhiyil, N. A1 - Mannheim, K. A1 - Maraschi, L. A1 - Marcote, B. A1 - Mariotti, M. A1 - Martinez, M. A1 - Mazin, D. A1 - Menzel, U. A1 - Meucci, M. A1 - Miranda, J. M. A1 - Mirzoyan, R. A1 - Moralejo, A. A1 - Munar-Adrover, P. A1 - Nakajima, D. A1 - Niedzwiecki, A. A1 - Nilsson, K. A1 - Nowak, N. A1 - Orito, R. A1 - Overkemping, A. A1 - Paiano, S. A1 - Palatiello, M. A1 - Paneque, D. A1 - Paoletti, R. A1 - Paredes, J. M. A1 - Paredes-Fortuny, X. A1 - Partini, S. A1 - Persic, M. A1 - Prada, F. A1 - Moroni, P. G. Prada A1 - Prandini, E. A1 - Preziuso, S. A1 - Puljak, I. A1 - Reinthal, R. A1 - Rhode, W. A1 - Ribo, M. A1 - Rico, J. A1 - Garcia, J. Rodriguez A1 - Ruegamer, S. A1 - Saggion, A. A1 - Saito, T. A1 - Saito, K. A1 - Salvati, M. A1 - Satalecka, K. A1 - Scalzotto, V. A1 - Scapin, V. A1 - Schultz, C. A1 - Schweizer, T. A1 - Shore, S. N. A1 - Sillanpaa, A. A1 - Sitarek, J. A1 - Snidaric, I. A1 - Sobczynska, D. A1 - Spanier, F. A1 - Stamatescu, V. A1 - Stamerra, A. A1 - Steinbring, T. A1 - Storz, J. A1 - Sun, S. A1 - Suric, T. A1 - Takalo, L. A1 - Tavecchio, F. A1 - Temnikov, P. A1 - Terzic, T. A1 - Tescaro, D. A1 - Teshima, M. A1 - Thaele, J. A1 - Tibolla, O. A1 - Torres, D. F. A1 - Toyama, T. A1 - Treves, A. A1 - Uellenbeck, M. A1 - Vogler, P. A1 - Wagner, R. M. A1 - Zandanel, F. A1 - Zanin, R. A1 - Behera, B. A1 - Beilicke, M. A1 - Benbow, W. A1 - Berger, K. A1 - Bird, R. A1 - Bouvier, A. A1 - Bugaev, V. A1 - Cerruti, M. A1 - Chen, Xuhui A1 - Ciupik, L. A1 - Collins-Hughes, E. A1 - Cui, W. A1 - Duke, C. A1 - Dumm, J. A1 - Falcone, A. A1 - Federici, Simone A1 - Feng, Q. A1 - Finley, J. P. A1 - Fortson, L. A1 - Furniss, A. A1 - Galante, N. A1 - Gillanders, G. H. A1 - Griffin, S. A1 - Griffiths, S. T. A1 - Grube, J. A1 - Gyuk, G. A1 - Hanna, D. A1 - Holder, J. A1 - Johnson, C. A. A1 - Kaaret, P. A1 - Kertzman, M. A1 - Kieda, D. A1 - Krawczynski, H. A1 - Lang, M. J. A1 - Madhavan, A. S. A1 - Maier, G. A1 - Majumdar, P. A1 - Meagher, K. A1 - Moriarty, P. A1 - Mukherjee, R. A1 - Nieto, D. A1 - Ong, R. A. A1 - Otte, A. N. A1 - Pichel, A. A1 - Pohl, Manula A1 - Popkow, A. A1 - Prokoph, H. A1 - Quinn, J. A1 - Rajotte, J. A1 - Ratliff, G. A1 - Reyes, L. C. A1 - Reynolds, P. T. A1 - Richards, G. T. A1 - Roache, E. A1 - Sembroski, G. H. A1 - Shahinyan, K. A1 - Sheidaei, F. A1 - Smith, A. W. A1 - Staszak, D. A1 - Telezhinsky, Igor O. A1 - Theiling, M. A1 - Tyler, J. A1 - Varlotta, A. A1 - Vincent, S. A1 - Wakely, S. P. A1 - Weekes, T. C. A1 - Welsing, R. A1 - Williams, D. A. A1 - Zajczyk, A. A1 - Zitzer, B. A1 - Villata, M. A1 - Raiteri, C. M. A1 - Ajello, M. A1 - Perri, M. A1 - Aller, H. D. A1 - Aller, M. F. A1 - Larionov, V. M. A1 - Efimova, N. V. A1 - Konstantinova, T. S. A1 - Kopatskaya, E. N. A1 - Chen, W. P. A1 - Koptelova, E. A1 - Hsiao, H. Y. A1 - Kurtanidze, O. M. A1 - Nikolashvili, M. G. A1 - Kimeridze, G. N. A1 - Jordan, B. A1 - Leto, Paolo A1 - Buemi, C. S. A1 - Trigilio, C. A1 - Umana, G. A1 - Lahteenmaki, A. A1 - Nieppola, E. A1 - Tornikoski, M. A1 - Sainio, J. A1 - Kadenius, V. A1 - Giroletti, M. A1 - Cesarini, A. A1 - Fuhrmann, L. A1 - Kovalev, Yu. A. A1 - Kovalev, Y. Y. T1 - Multiwavelength observations of Mrk 501 in 2008 JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. Blazars are variable sources on various timescales over a broad energy range spanning from radio to very high energy (>100 GeV, hereafter VHE). Mrk 501 is one of the brightest blazars at TeV energies and has been extensively studied since its first VHE detection in 1996. However, most of the gamma-ray studies performed on Mrk 501 during the past years relate to flaring activity, when the source detection and characterization with the available gamma-ray instrumentation was easier to perform. Aims. Our goal is to characterize the source gamma-ray emission in detail, together with the radio-to-X-ray emission, during the non-flaring (low) activity, which is less often studied than the occasional flaring (high) activity. Methods. We organized a multiwavelength (MW) campaign on Mrk 501 between March and May 2008. This multi-instrument effort included the most sensitive VHE gamma-ray instruments in the northern hemisphere, namely the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes MAGIC and VERITAS, as well as Swift, RXTE, the F-GAMMA, GASP-WEBT, and other collaborations and instruments. This provided extensive energy and temporal coverage of Mrk 501 throughout the entire campaign. Results. Mrk 501 was found to be in a low state of activity during the campaign, with a VHE flux in the range of 10%-20% of the Crab nebula flux. Nevertheless, significant flux variations were detected with various instruments, with a trend of increasing variability with energy and a tentative correlation between the X-ray and VHE fluxes. The broadband spectral energy distribution during the two different emission states of the campaign can be adequately described within the homogeneous one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model, with the (slightly) higher state described by an increase in the electron number density. Conclusions. The one-zone SSC model can adequately describe the broadband spectral energy distribution of the source during the two months covered by the MW campaign. This agrees with previous studies of the broadband emission of this source during flaring and non-flaring states. We report for the first time a tentative X-ray-to-VHE correlation during such a low VHE activity. Although marginally significant, this positive correlation between X-ray and VHE, which has been reported many times during flaring activity, suggests that the mechanisms that dominate the X-ray/VHE emission during non-flaring-activity are not substantially different from those that are responsible for the emission during flaring activity. KW - astroparticle physics KW - BL Lacertae objects: individual: Mrk 501 KW - gamma rays: general Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322906 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 573 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martinez-Valdes, Eduardo Andrés A1 - Laine, C. M. A1 - Falla, D. A1 - Mayer, Frank A1 - Farina, D. T1 - High-density surface electromyography provides reliable estimates of motor unit behavior JF - Clinical neurophysiology N2 - Objective: To assess the intra-and inter-session reliability of estimates of motor unit behavior and muscle fiber properties derived from high-density surface electromyography (HDEMG). Methods: Ten healthy subjects performed submaximal isometric knee extensions during three recording sessions (separate days) at 10%, 30%, 50% and 70% of their maximum voluntary effort. The discharge timings of motor units of the vastus lateralis and medialis muscles were automatically identified from HDEMG by a decomposition algorithm. We characterized the number of detected motor units, their discharge rates, the coefficient of variation of their inter-spike intervals (CoVisi), the action potential conduction velocity and peak-to-peak amplitude. Reliability was assessed for each motor unit characteristics by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Additionally, a pulse-to-noise ratio (PNR) was calculated, to verify the accuracy of the decomposition. Results: Good to excellent reliability within and between sessions was found for all motor unit characteristics at all force levels (ICCs > 0.8), with the exception of CoVisi that presented poor reliability (ICC < 0.6). PNR was high and similar for both muscles with values ranging between 45.1 and 47.6 dB (accuracy > 95%). Conclusion: Motor unit features can be assessed non-invasively and reliably within and across sessions over a wide range of force levels. Significance: These results suggest that it is possible to characterize motor units in longitudinal intervention studies. (C) 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - High-density surface EMG KW - Motor unit decomposition KW - Conduction velocity KW - Motor unit discharge rate KW - Vastus lateralis KW - Vastus medialis Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2015.10.065 SN - 1388-2457 SN - 1872-8952 VL - 127 SP - 2534 EP - 2541 PB - Elsevier CY - Clare ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Becker, George D. A1 - Pettini, Max A1 - Rafelski, Marc A1 - Boera, Elisa A1 - Christensen, Lise A1 - Cupani, Guido A1 - Ellison, Sara L. A1 - Farina, Emanuele Paolo A1 - Fumagalli, Michele A1 - Lopez, Sebastian A1 - Neeleman, Marcel A1 - Ryan-Weber, Emma A1 - Worseck, Gabor T1 - The Evolution of OI over 3.2 < z < 6.5: Reionization of the Circumgalactic Medium JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - We present a survey for metal absorption systems traced by neutral oxygen over 3.2 < z < 6.5. Our survey uses Keck/ESI and VLT/X-Shooter spectra of 199 QSOs with redshifts up to 6.6. In total, we detect 74 OI absorbers, of which 57 are separated from the background QSO by more than 5000 km s(-1). We use a maximum likelihood approach to fit the distribution of OI lambda 1302 equivalent widths in bins of redshift and from this determine the evolution in number density of absorbers with W-1302 > 0.05 angstrom, of which there are 49 nonproximate systems in our sample. We find that the number density does not monotonically increase with decreasing redshift, as would naively be expected from the buildup of metal-enriched circumgalactic gas with time. The number density over 4.9 < z < 5.7 is a factor of 1.7-4.1 lower (68% confidence) than that over 5.7 < z < 6.5, with a lower value at z < 5.7 favored with 99% confidence. This decrease suggests that the fraction of metals in a low-ionization phase is larger at z similar to 6 than at lower redshifts. Absorption from highly ionized metals traced by CIV is also weaker in higher-redshift OI systems, supporting this picture. The evolution of OI absorbers implies that metal-enriched circumgalactic gas at z similar to 6 is undergoing an ionization transition driven by a strengthening ultraviolet background. This in turn suggests that the reionization of the diffuse intergalactic medium may still be ongoing at or only recently ended by this epoch. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab3eb5 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 883 IS - 2 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Peres, Tanara V. A1 - Eyng, Helena A1 - Lopes, Samantha C. A1 - Colle, Dirleise A1 - Goncalves, Filipe M. A1 - Venske, Debora K. R. A1 - Lopes, Mark W. A1 - Ben, Juliana A1 - Bornhorst, Julia A1 - Schwerdtle, Tanja A1 - Aschner, Michael A. A1 - Farina, Marcelo A1 - Prediger, Rui D. A1 - Leal, Rodrigo B. T1 - Developmental exposure to manganese induces lasting motor and cognitive impairment in rats JF - Neurotoxicology : the interdisciplinary journal of effects to toxic substances on the nervous system N2 - Exposure to high manganese (Mn) levels may damage the basal ganglia, leading to a syndrome analogous to Parkinson's disease, with motor and cognitive impairments. The molecular mechanisms underlying Mn neurotoxicity, particularly during development, still deserve further investigation. Herein, we addressed whether early-life Mn exposure affects motor coordination and cognitive function in adulthood and potential underlying mechanisms. Male Wistar rats were exposed intraperitoneally to saline (control) or MnCl2 (5, 10 or 20 mg/kg/day) from post-natal day (PND) 8-12. Behavioral tests were performed on PND 60-65 and biochemical analysis in the striatum and hippocampus were performed on PND14 or PND70. Rats exposed to Mn (10 and 20 mg/kg) performed significantly worse on the rotarod test than controls indicating motor coordination and balance impairments. The object and social recognition tasks were used to evaluate short-term memory. Rats exposed to the highest Mn dose failed to recognize a familiar object when replaced by a novel object as well as to recognize a familiar juvenile rat after a short period of time. However, Mn did not alter olfactory discrimination ability. In addition, Mn-treated rats displayed decreased levels of non-protein thiols (e.g. glutathione) and increased levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the striatum. Moreover, Mn significantly increased hippocampal glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. These findings demonstrate that acute low-level exposure to Mn during a critical neurodevelopmental period causes cognitive and motor dysfunctions that last into adulthood, that are accompanied by alterations in antioxidant defense system in both the hippocampus and striatum. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. KW - Manganese KW - Neurotoxicity KW - Development KW - Motor coordination KW - Cognition Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuro.2015.07.005 SN - 0161-813X SN - 1872-9711 VL - 50 SP - 28 EP - 37 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martinez-Valdes, Eduardo Andrés A1 - Negro, F. A1 - Laine, C. M. A1 - Falla, D. A1 - Mayer, Frank A1 - Farina, Dario T1 - Tracking motor units longitudinally across experimental sessions with high-density surface electromyography JF - The Journal of Physiology N2 - A new method is proposed for tracking individual motor units (MUs) across multiple experimental sessions on different days. The technique is based on a novel decomposition approach for high-density surface electromyography and was tested with two experimental studies for reliability and sensitivity. Experiment I (reliability): ten participants performed isometric knee extensions at 10, 30, 50 and 70% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force in three sessions, each separated by 1 week. Experiment II (sensitivity): seven participants performed 2 weeks of endurance training (cycling) and were tested pre-post intervention during isometric knee extensions at 10 and 30% MVC. The reliability (Experiment I) and sensitivity (Experiment II) of the measured MU properties were compared for the MUs tracked across sessions, with respect to all MUs identified in each session. In Experiment I, on average 38.3% and 40.1% of the identified MUs could be tracked across two sessions (1 and 2 weeks apart), for the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis, respectively. Moreover, the properties of the tracked MUs were more reliable across sessions than those of the full set of identified MUs (intra-class correlation coefficients ranged between 0.63-0.99 and 0.39-0.95, respectively). In Experiment II, similar to 40% of the MUs could be tracked before and after the training intervention and training-induced changes in MU conduction velocity had an effect size of 2.1 (tracked MUs) and 1.5 (group of all identified motor units). These results show the possibility of monitoring MU properties longitudinally to document the effect of interventions or the progression of neuromuscular disorders. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1113/JP273662 SN - 0022-3751 SN - 1469-7793 VL - 595 SP - 1479 EP - 1496 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER -